The Abbey of Our Lady of the Redwoods is a

monastic Monasticism (from Ancient Greek , , from , , 'alone'), also referred to as monachism, or monkhood, is a religion, religious way of life in which one renounces world (theology), worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work. Monastic ...

community of the Trappistine branch of

Cistercian nuns Cistercian nuns are female members of the Cistercian Order, a religious order belonging to the Roman Catholic branch of the Catholic Church. History The first Cistercian monastery for women, Le Tart Abbey, was established at Tart-l'Abbaye in t ...

located in

Whitethorn, California Whitethorn (formerly Thorn) is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, California, United States. It is located southwest of Garberville, at an elevation of , with a population of 817. Whitethorn shares a ZIP Code, 95589, with Shelt ...

, within the Diocese of Santa Rosa.

History

The monastery was founded by two groups of nuns from the medieval Abbey of Our Lady of Nazareth (commonly called

Brecht Abbey Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a pl ...

) in

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

in 1962, the first four arriving on the site on 1 November 1962. Noted art director Robert Usher, an extern brother of the Abbey of New Clairvaux in

Vina, California Vina (Spanish: ''Viña'', meaning "Vine") is a census-designated place (CDP) in Tehama County, California. Vina sits at an elevation of . The 2010 United States census reported Vina's population was 237. Vina is the location of the Roman Catholi ...

had donated his house and grounds to the Cistercians.Shelton, Heather. "Whitethorn monastery is dedicated in 1967, ''Times-Standard'', August 1, 2019
/ref> The nuns soon settled in and established themselves; they were formally declared a new monastic community on 15 August 1963. It was established as an independent abbey the following year, and the founding

Mother Superior An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa''), also known as a mother superior, is the female superior of a community of Catholic nuns in an abbey. Description In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Coptic ...

, Mother Myriam Dardenne, O.C.S.O., was elected the community's first

abbess An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa''), also known as a mother superior, is the female superior of a community of Catholic nuns in an abbey. Description In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Coptic ...

on 21 November 1964. The abbey was dedicated on May 2, 1967, by

Leo Thomas Maher Leo Thomas Maher (July 1, 1915 – February 23, 1991) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Santa Rosa in California (1962–1969) and as bishop of the Diocese of San Diego in California ...

, Bishop of Santa Rosa. The nuns led the traditional Cistercian rhythm of carving out a life of

contemplation In a religious context, the practice of contemplation seeks a direct awareness of the divine which transcends the intellect, often in accordance with prayer or meditation. Etymology The word ''contemplation'' is derived from the Latin word '' ...

in harmony with the environment around them. The setting for this monastery in the huge

Redwood Forest ''Sequoia sempervirens'' ()''Sunset Western Garden Book,'' 1995:606–607 is the sole living species of the genus '' Sequoia'' in the cypress family Cupressaceae (formerly treated in Taxodiaceae). Common names include coast redwood, coastal ...

of California have given this monastery a unique sense of place and silence. They have created various creamed honey flavors which the sisters sell online and at the monastery. This with organic gardening and forestry helps to support the community. There is a guesthouse with twelve rooms available for visitors who wish to share in the rhythm of their lives.Abbey website
/ref> Mother Myriam led the community until 8 December 1989. The current Abbess is Mother Kathy de Vico, O.C.S.O., who was elected in 2000.

References

External links

Redwoods Monastery website
{{Coord, 40, 0, 15.4, N, 123, 56, 2.48, W, region:US, display=title Trappistine monasteries in the United States Christian organizations established in 1963 Buildings and structures in Humboldt County, California Catholic Church in the United States 20th-century Christian monasteries 1963 establishments in California History of women in California

History

See also

References

Further reading

External links